23 Safest and Cheapest Cities To Live in Arizona
Thinking about making a move to Arizona? Whether you’re planning to relocate your family for a new job opportunity or want to downsize and move out of state to enjoy your retirement years, ideally the Arizona city you call home should be affordable and safe.
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Which cities are among the safest and cheapest in Arizona? To find out, GOBankingRates found the total population, total household and median household income from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Additional factors sourced include the average single family home value, cost-of-living indexes, the livability index and each city’s property and violent crime statistics. The average mortgage cost was also calculated along with the total monthly cost of living and the crime rates per 1,000 residents. For the purposes of this article, each city ranked has a total cost of living under $4,000 per month.
In order from the highest to lowest total monthly cost of living, keep reading for the 23 safest and cheapest cities to live in Arizona.
Tucson
Population total: 541,033
Household total: 220,769
Median household income: $52,049
Average home value: $341,273
Livability index: 73
Violent crimes: 109
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 24.02
Property crimes: 603
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 132.91
Average household mortgage cost: $2,031
Average expenditure cost: $1,900
Total monthly cost of living: $3,931
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Casa Grande
Population total: 55,186
Household total: 20,027
Median household income: $64,535
Average home value: $334,091
Livability index: 56
Violent crimes: 353
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 5.76
Property crimes: 1,635
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 26.68
Average household mortgage cost: $1,988
Average expenditure cost: $1,921
Total monthly cost of living: $3,910
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Yuma
Population total: 96,314
Household total: 36,290
Median household income: $59,312
Average home value: $298,976
Livability index: 70
Violent crimes: 551
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 5.61
Property crimes: 1,657
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 16.88
Average household mortgage cost: $1,779
Average expenditure cost: $2,095
Total monthly cost of living: $3,874
Eagar
Population total: 4,425
Household total: 1,539
Median household income: $82,538
Average home value: $289,825
Livability index: 66
Violent crimes: 1
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.22
Property crimes: 19
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.27
Average household mortgage cost: $1,725
Average expenditure cost: $2,057
Total monthly cost of living: $3,782
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Thatcher
Population total: 5,281
Household total: 1,790
Median household income: $71,591
Average home value: $310,287
Livability index: 64
Violent crimes: 2
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.37
Property crimes: 34
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.33
Average household mortgage cost: $1,847
Average expenditure cost: $1,859
Total monthly cost of living: $3,706
Coolidge
Population total: 14,175
Household total: 4,378
Median household income: $60,682
Average home value: $295,127
Livability index: 55
Violent crimes: 89
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 5.55
Property crimes: 403
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 25.15
Average household mortgage cost: $1,756
Average expenditure cost: $1,946
Total monthly cost of living: $3,703
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Somerton
Population total: 14,278
Household total: 4,345
Median household income: $64,180
Average home value: $259,981
Livability index: 60
Violent crimes: 9
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.62
Property crimes: 80
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.52
Average household mortgage cost: $1,547
Average expenditure cost: $2,120
Total monthly cost of living: $3,668
Sierra Vista
Population total: 45,212
Household total: 18,382
Median household income: $70,899
Average home value: $295,597
Livability index: 78
Violent crimes: 128
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.81
Property crimes: 738
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 16.18
Average household mortgage cost: $1,759
Average expenditure cost: $1,882
Total monthly cost of living: $3,641
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Wellton
Population total: 2,447
Household total: 1,237
Median household income: $52,654
Average home value: $260,860
Livability index: 68
Violent crimes: 2
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.79
Property crimes: 18
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.12
Average household mortgage cost: $1,553
Average expenditure cost: $2,069
Total monthly cost of living: $3,621
Pima
Population total: 2,847
Household total: 981
Median household income: $67,880
Average home value: $290,657
Livability index: 61
Violent crimes: n/a
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.00
Property crimes: 16
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.41
Average household mortgage cost: $1,730
Average expenditure cost: $1,856
Total monthly cost of living: $3,586
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Kingman
Population total: 33,052
Household total: 14,029
Median household income: $56,360
Average home value: $271,873
Livability index: 80
Violent crimes: 133
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 3.82
Property crimes: 1,100
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 31.61
Average household mortgage cost: $1,618
Average expenditure cost: $1,966
Total monthly cost of living: $3,584
San Luis
Population total: 35,189
Household total: 8,846
Median household income: $46,747
Average home value: $238,866
Livability index: 76
Violent crimes: 20
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.52
Property crimes: 212
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.50
Average household mortgage cost: $1,422
Average expenditure cost: $2,161
Total monthly cost of living: $3,583
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Eloy
Population total: 16,075
Household total: 3,611
Median household income: $57,364
Average home value: $269,661
Livability index: 63
Violent crimes: 109
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 6.94
Property crimes: 304
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 19.34
Average household mortgage cost: $1,605
Average expenditure cost: $1,925
Total monthly cost of living: $3,530
Springerville
Population total: 2,006
Household total: 823
Median household income: $48,475
Average home value: $249,410
Livability index: 58
Violent crimes: 8
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 4.69
Property crimes: 4
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 2.34
Average household mortgage cost: $1,484
Average expenditure cost: $1,925
Total monthly cost of living: $3,409
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Bisbee
Population total: 4,972
Household total: 2,602
Median household income: $43,512
Average home value: $228,470
Livability index: 59
Violent crimes: 12
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.44
Property crimes: 34
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.93
Average household mortgage cost: $1,360
Average expenditure cost: $1,888
Total monthly cost of living: $3,248
Globe
Population total: 7,230
Household total: 3,004
Median household income: $64,516
Average home value: $226,777
Livability index: 59
Violent crimes: 114
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 15.93
Property crimes: 359
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 50.17
Average household mortgage cost: $1,350
Average expenditure cost: $1,868
Total monthly cost of living: $3,217
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Tombstone
Population total: 1,046
Household total: 526
Median household income: $46,667
Average home value: $225,118
Livability index: 63
Violent crimes: 4
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 3.06
Property crimes: 41
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 31.35
Average household mortgage cost: $1,340
Average expenditure cost: $1,862
Total monthly cost of living: $3,202
Huachuca City
Population total: 1,865
Household total: 832
Median household income: $44,360
Average home value: $206,992
Livability index: 63
Violent crimes: 1
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.62
Property crimes: 21
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 12.95
Average household mortgage cost: $1,232
Average expenditure cost: $1,901
Total monthly cost of living: $3,133
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Willcox
Population total: 3,232
Household total: 1,109
Median household income: $40,884
Average home value: $190,184
Livability index: 58
Violent crimes: 8
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.50
Property crimes: 114
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 35.60
Average household mortgage cost: $1,132
Average expenditure cost: $1,924
Total monthly cost of living: $3,056
Superior
Population total: 2,639
Household total: 1,324
Median household income: $39,600
Average home value: $184,342
Livability index: 55
Violent crimes: 12
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 4.75
Property crimes: 91
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 36.00
Average household mortgage cost: $1,097
Average expenditure cost: $1,902
Total monthly cost of living: $2,999
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Nogales
Population total: 19,761
Household total: 6,783
Median household income: $36,682
Average home value: $211,917
Livability index: 66
Violent crimes: 48
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.43
Property crimes: 701
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 35.54
Average household mortgage cost: $1,261
Average expenditure cost: $1,721
Total monthly cost of living: $2,982
Douglas
Population total: 16,301
Household total: 4,476
Median household income: $41,594
Average home value: $164,118
Livability index: 69
Violent crimes: 19
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.15
Property crimes: 209
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 12.64
Average household mortgage cost: $977
Average expenditure cost: $1,861
Total monthly cost of living: $2,838
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Miami
Population total: 1,353
Household total: 632
Median household income: $30,417
Average home value: $141,701
Livability index: 44
Violent crimes: 24
Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 15.58
Property crimes: 59
Property crime rate (per 1,000): 38.31
Average household mortgage cost: $843
Average expenditure cost: $1,855
Total monthly cost of living: $2,698
Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only. In many cases, the closest major city outside of the city/county mentioned in the article was used.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities in Arizona to find the safest and cheapest cities to live in. First, GOBankingRates found the total population, total household, and household median income as sourced from the US Census American Community Survey, the average single family home value from April 2024 as sourced from Zillow Home Value Index, the cost-of-living indexes as sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces, property crime and violent crime stats as sourced from the FBI’s crime data explorer, and the livability index as sourced from AreaVibes. Using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data and assuming a 10% down payment, the average mortgage cost can be calculated. Using the average expenditure and average mortgage costs, the total monthly cost of living can be calculated. Using the total population and crime counts, the crime rates per 1000 residents can be calculated. The cities with any data missing were removed to accurately compare cities. The household median income was scored and weighted at 1.00, the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.00, the property crime rate per 1000 residents was scored and weighted at 2.00, the violent crime rate per 1000 residents was scored and weighted at 2.00, the total monthly cost of living was scored and weighted at 4.00. All the scores were combined and sorted to show the safest and cheapest cities in Arizona. All data was collected and is up-to-date as of May 3rd, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 23 Safest and Cheapest Cities To Live in Arizona